Article-registering means for a decorating machine



Oct. 5, 1965 J. w. ELDRED ETAL ARTICLE-REGISTERING MEANS FOR ADECORATING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 15,

% gTORNEYS Oct. 5, 1965 J w, ELDR D ETAL 3,209,688

ARTICLE-REGISTERING MEANS FOR A DECORATING MACHINE Filed March 15. 19653 Sheets-Sheet 2 l a g INVENTORS E 3 JOHN w. ELDRED JAMES B. LEGG BYMAHONEY, MILLER & RAMBO way ATTORNEYS Oct. 5, 1965 J. w. ELDRED ETALARTICLE-REGISTERING MEANS FOR A DECORATING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed March 15, 1965 Zfia INVENTORS JOHN W. ELDRED JAMES B. LEGG w MW AEm 0 W EZA H. E NW B A United States Patent 3,209,688 ARTICLE-REGISTERINGMEANS FOR A DECORATING MACHINE John W. Eldred and James B. Legg,Columbus, Ohio, as-

signors to The Eldred Company, Columbus, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 439,905 Claims. (Cl.101-407) This application is a continuation-in-part of our copendingapplication Ser. No. 279,289 filed May 9, 1963 for Decorating Machine,now matured into Patent Number 3,181,457 dated May 4, 1965.

Our present invention relates to an article-registering means for adecorating machine. It has to do, more particularly, witharticle-registering means embodied in a decorating machine of the silkscreen and squeegee type which applies decorations, usually inmulticolors, to the surfaces of various articles and especially hollowarticles such as glass tumblers or the like. This present inventiondeals with improvements on the article-registering means of the generaltype disclosed in our copending application Ser. No. 279,289, nowmatured into Patent Number 3,181,457 dated May 4, 1965.

The present invention provides a registering means which will berendered inoperative by any abnormal operation of the machine so as toprevent excessive binding or breakage of parts of the registering meansin the event of such malfunction. However, the registering means is ofsuch a nature that it may be quickly and easily restored to operativecondition when the malfunction has been corrected.

The improvements constituting this invention are illustrated in theirpreferred form embodied in a glassware decorating machine shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating generally a decoratingmachine and the registering means of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 ofFIGURE 1 showing the registering means of this invention in associationwith an articlesupporting spindle of the machine.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 and illustrating normal operation of theregistering means.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a detail in enlarged section taken substantially along line5-5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an axial sectional view taken substantially along line 6-6of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a top elevational view of the registering means shown inFIGURE 3 but illustrating abnormal conditions as compared to FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 8 is a top elevational view showing the registering means similarto the showing in FIGURE 3 but with the parts thereof reversed axiallyon the spindle.

A decorating machine to which this present invention may be applied isillustrated generally in FIGURE 1. It is of a general structure likethat disclosed in our Patent No. 3,096,709 which issued on July 9, 1963and is indicated generally by the numeral 100. The machine may be loadedwith articles to be decorated, such as the tapered tumblers T, and thedecorated articles may be removed therefrom in any suitable manner. Thedecorating machine is of the intermittently indexing turret type and isdesigned to be loaded with successive tumblers T, with the tumblers inan upright position, between the intervals when it is intermittentlyindexing. The machine 100 rotates in a clockwise direction, as indicatedin ice FIGURE 1, being driven intermittently to index the angularlyspaced spindle assemblies thereof. During this step-by-step rotation,the spindle assemblies 105 are moved from a vertical dependent positionat the loading station B to a horizontally or radially extendingposition as the machine rotates to and past successive decoratingstations C, D and E and finally back to a depending position at theunloading station F.

Each spindle assembly 105 comprises an inner supporting hinge bracket330 and an outer chuck-assembly section 331 which is hingedly connectedto the bracket '330 and is vertically swingable relative thereto about atransverse horizontal pivot axis 332. As previously indicated, thesection 331 is adapted to be in a dependent position at the loading andunloading stations B and F (FIG- URE 1) and in a horizontal or radiallyextending position with its axis aligning with the radial horizontalaxis of the bracket 330 as it passes the decorating stations C, D and E.Vertical swinging movement of each spindle section 331 is controlled bymeans of a cam following roller 430 (FIGURE 2) which cooperates with acam (not shown) that extends around the axis of the turret as describedin said patent. Also, as described in said copending application,registering means is provided for registering the article on eachsuccessive spindle assembly properly with the screens at each successivedecorating station C, D and E. This registering means is illustrated inits entirety in FIGURES 2 and 3.

This registering means includes a gear 342h which is carried by androtates with a sleeve 346 that carries the chuck (FIGURE 2) upon whichthe article T is supported. This gear meshes with a rack 331d carried oneach of the screen frames 5460 which are carried by supporting brackets528 by means of upwardly yielding plunger units 331e. Each rack 331dmeshes with the registering gear 34271 when the outer or chuck assemblysection 331 is raised about the pivot 332 into association with thescreen at any of the successive decorating stations. Thus, registrationis effected, as disclosed in said application, by a gear that rotateswith the article supported on the chuck assembly and which engages arack on the screen frame to drive the article-supporting chuck as theassociated screen is moved about its pivot 527 shown in FIGURE 1.

As disclosed in our copending application, the sleeve 346 is normallylocked in a sleeve 343 (FIGURE 6) by means of a pin and slot connection347a. The sleeve 343 (FIGURES 2 and 6) is rotatably mounted in thesleeve housing 331k of the chuck assembly section 331 by means of theball bearings 344. Also as disclosed in said application, a torsionspring 343d normally tends to keep the sleeve 343 in an initial stoppedor registered position relative to the sleeve housing 331h whichrotatably carries it. This spring 343d is anchored at its inner end tothe sleeve 343 by a pin 343a and is anchored at its outer end 343 to acap 331 which surrounds the sleeve 343 for relative rotation but isfixed to the sleeve housing 331h. Thus, as the sleeve 343 is rotated inone direction in the sleeve housing 3311i, it winds up the spring 343dand the spring, in subsequent unwinding, will always return the sleeve343 to its original stopped or registered position relative to thesleeve housing 331k due to a stop arrangement to be described. Forsuccessive spindles, the spring 343d will be reversed so that in onespindle clockwise rotation will wind up the spring and in the nextcounterclockwise rotation will wind it up.

The registering means also includes (FIGURES 2-7) a stop member shown asa flanged collar 342a fixed on the inner end of the sleeve 343 and theflange 342h of which carries, in the arrangement shown, a stop portionor pin 34% extending from the inner face of the flange and at a rightangle thereto. This stop pin 342b is adapted to cooperate with a stopportion or pin 342a (FIGURE 6) which is carried on the inner face of astop member in the form of an internally threaded nut or collar 342d andwhich fits on the threaded exterior of the collar 342a, the latterserving as a feed screw member for engaging the inner threaded socket ofthe nut member 342d. These stop pins are engaged (FIGURES 4 and 5) byunwinding of the spring 343d to determine the initial position orregistering position of the article on the spindle. The collar 342dnormally is prevented from rotating (FIGURES 3 and 4) by a splineconnection which includes a tongue or key 342e which extends inwardlyfrom a bracket 331g fixed to one arm of the yoke 331a and cooperateswith a keyway or slot 342 in the periphery of the collar. The collar342a and the sleeve 343 are keyed together by a key 342g (FIGURE 4).Thus, the nut or collar 342d will move axially on the threaded collar342a when the sleeve 343 is rotated in its housing 33112 since thecollar 342a is rotated but the collar 342d is prevented from rotating.On successive spindles 105, the stop assembly including the collars 342aand 342d and the bracket 331g will be reversed on the inner end of thesleeve 343 in accordance with the reversal of the spring 343d, asindicated by a comparison of FIGURE 8 with FIGURE 3. Thus, in eachspindle assembly rotation of the sleeve 343 by the screen rack 331d towind up the spring 343d will feed the collar 342d in such a directionthat the pins 34212 and 3420 will move out of contact (FIGURE 6). Theaxial movement of the collar 342d relative to the collar 342a willpermit the pins to miss after one revolution so that the article canrotate more than one revolution in rolling contact with the screen whichwill permit an overlap on the article of the design applied thereto.Since the screen oscillates and decoration occurs each time the screenmoves over the article in either direction, the article will be drivenin opposite directions at each successive screen. This is the reason forproviding for reversal of the stop pin assembly and the torsion spring.Under normal conditions, as soon as the rack 331d is released from thegear 34211, the spring 343d will return the collars 342a and 342d totheir original relationship where the stop pins 342b and 342c willcontact and will properly position the article carried by that spindleassembly for proper registration with the next screen. The stop collarassembly may be easily positioned on the sleeve 343 in either indicatedposition by means of the key 342g and the plug 342.

If the spring 343d fails to return the collars 342a and 342d to theiroriginal stopped relationship, due to breakage or other malfunction ofthe spring, the continued step-by-step rotation of the turret wouldcontinue to cause the successive rotation of each of the sleeves 343 ofthe spindle assemblies in the one direction only and would not returnit. Unless some means were provided to prevent it, this would causejamming or breaking of parts such as jamming of the collar 342d againstthe adjacent part of the bearing 344 at the corresponding end of thesleeve housing 331/1. However, according to this invention, means isprovided for preventing this and the operation of this means will beapparent from a comparison of FIGURES 6 and 7.

It will be noted that the tongue 342a is of a width substantiallyone-half the width of the collar 342d and the corresponding length ofthe keyway 342]. As long as conditions are normal, the collar 342d willbe rotated about one and one-quarter revolution before being returned bythe spring. This moves the collar 342d toward the bearing 344 but atthis time the tongue 342a will still be in the keyway 342 as shown inFIGURE 3. However, if the spring does not return the collar 342d to itsregistered position, it will continue to move axially toward the bearing344 at successive stations of the turret. This axial movement will movethe tongue 3421: out of the keyway 342], as shown in FIGURE 7, and thecollar 342d will thereafter be freely rotatable so that it can rotatewith the collar 342a and will not jam against the bearing 344 since thedistance between the edge of the key and the bearing 344 is sufiicientto accommodate the collar 342d without interference so that the collar342d can rotate with the collar 343. Thus, there is a safety deviceprovided which guards against malfunction of the spring 343d andassociated parts to prevent jamming or damage to the registeringmechanism. To restore the mechanism to normal condition, the collar 342dis repositioned manually so as to again locate the keyway 342f over thekey 342s. When the parts are reversed, as in FIGURE 8, the collar 342dwill move axially to the right upon rotation by the successiveengagement of the rack and gears and if it moves too far, the tongue342a will move out of the keyway 342], freeing the collar 342d. In thisinstance, the safety device prevents movement of the collar 342d olT theend of the member 342.

It will be apparent from the above that this invention provides aregistering mechanism which functions under normal conditions but whichwill be rendered inoperative under abnormal conditions. The mechanism issimple yet effective and can be readily reset after the safety meansthereof permits disengagement of the spline connection.

Various other advantages will be apparent.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In combination, an article support rotatable about an axis, means forpositioning the article support at an initial selected registeringposition about said axis, said means comprising a feed screw rotatablewith the article support, a stop member fixed to said feed screw forrotation therewith about said axis, a stop nut threaded on said feedscrew and positioned axially adjacent said stop member, said stop memberand said stop nut having stop portions which project towards each otherand are normally angularly engaged, means for nor-mally preventingbodily rotation of said nut about the axis of said screw, said meanscomprising an angularly fixed support adjacent said nut, and aninterengaging spline connection between said nut and said support oflimited axial extent so that upon rotation of the article and the feedscrew in one direction, the stop nut will move axially away from thestop member to move the stop members thereof angularly out of contactand axially into noninterfering positions with the spline connectionstill in engagement but continued rotation of the feed screw in the samedirection producing continued axial separation of the stop nut and stopmember will move said spline connection axially out of engagement.

2. In combination, an article support rotatable about an axis, means forpositioning the article support at an initial selected registeringposition about said axis, said means comprising a feed screw rotatablewith the article support, a stop member fixed to said feed screw forrotation therewith about said axis, a stop nut threaded on said feedscrew and positioned axially adjacent said stop member, said stop memberand said stop nut having stop portions which project towards each otherand are normally angularly engaged, means for normally preventing bodilyrotation of said nut about the axis of said screw, said means comprisingan angularly fixed support adjacent said nut, and an interengaging keyand slot between said nut and said support, said key and slot being oflimited axial extent relatively so that upon rotation of the articlesupport and the feed screw in one direction, the stop nut will moveaxially away from the stop member to move the stop portions thereofangularly out of contact and axially into non-interfering positions withthe key and slot still in engagement but continued rotation of the feedscrew in the same direction producing continued axial separation of thestop nut and, stop memher will move said key and slot axially out ofengagement.

3. In combination, an article support rotatable about an axis, means forpositioning the article support at an initial selected registeringposition about said axis, said means comprising a feed screw rotatablewith the article support, a stop member fixed to said feed screw forrotation therewith about said axis, a stop nut threaded on said feedscrew and positioned axially adjacent said stop member, said stop memberand said stop nut having stop portions located radially outwardly ofsaid screw and which project axially towards each other and are normallyangularly engaged, means for normally preventing bodily rotation of saidnut about the axis of said screw, said means comprising an angularlyfixed support adjacent said nut, and an interengaging key and slotbetween said nut and said support, said key and slot being of limitedaxial extent relatively so that upon rotation of the article support andthe feed screw in one direction, the stop nut will move axially awayfrom the stop member to move the stop portions thereof angularly out ofcontact and axially into noninterfering positions with the key and slotstill in engagement but continued rotation of the feed screw in the samedirection producing continued axial separation of the stop nut and stopmember will move said key and slot axially out of engagement.

4. Structure according to claim 3 in which said key and slot comprises aslot formed in the periphery of said nut and extending completelytherethrough parallel to the axis of the screw, and a key carried bysaid support and extending in a radial direction into said slot.

5. Structure according to claim 4 in which the key is of a widthsubstantially less than the length of said slot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,721,516 10/55Campbell et al 101126 X 3,146,704 9/64 Johnson 101126 ROBERT E. PULFREY,Primary Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION, AN ARTICLE SUPPORT ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS, MEANS FORPOSITIONING THE ARTICLE SUPPORT AT AN INITIAL SELECTED REGISTERINGPOSITION ABOUT SAID AXIS, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A FEED SCREW ROTATABLEWITH THE ARTICLE SUPPORT, A STOP MEMBER FIXED TO SAID FEED SCREW FORROTATION THEREWITH ABOUT SAID AXIS, A STOP NUT THREADED ON SAID FEEDSCREW AND POSITIONED AXIALLY ADJACENT SAID STOP MEMBER, SAID STOP MEMBERAND SAID STOP NUT HAVING STOP PORTIONS WHICH PROJECT TOWARDS EACH OTHERAND ARE NORMALLY ANGULARLY ENGAGED, MEANS FOR NORMALLY PREVENTING BODILYROTATION OF SAID NUT ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID SCREW, SAID MEANS COMPRISINGAN ANGULARLY FIXED SUPPORT ADJACENT SAID NUT, AND AN INTERENGAGINGSPLINE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID NUT AND SAID SUPPORT OF LIMITED AXIALEXTENT SO THAT UPON ROTATION OF THE ARTICLE AND THE FEED SCREW IN ONEDIRECTION, THE STIP NUT WILL MOVE AXIALLY AWAY FROM THE STOP MEMBER TOMOVE THE STOP MEMBERS THEREOF ANGULARLY OUT OF CONTACT AND AXIALLY INTONONINTERFERING POSITIONS WITH THE SPLINE CONNECTION STILL IN ENGAGEMENTBUT CONTINUED ROTATION OF THE FEED SCREW IN THE SAME DIRECTION PRODUCINGCONTINUED AXIAL SEPARATION OF THE STOP NUT AND STOP MEMBER WILL MOVESAID SPLINE CONNECTION AXIALLY OUT OF ENGAGEMENT.